Alma W. Compton, Sr. was born in England on September 21, 1856. He and his siblings moved to Ogden, Utah in 1868, their parents joined them a year later. His opportunities for schooling were meager and he worked in a broom factory before apprenticing himself to Ogden photographer J.W. Christensen in 1882. In 1883 he rented a photo outfit and traveled through Brigham City, Cache Valley, and around Malad, Idaho. He settled in Brigham City and rented the studio of Jens C. Gasberg (Brigham City's first photographer) before building his own studio in 1884. In 1886 Compton married Jane Emeline Dalton in the Logan Temple. The couple would have four children who survived to adulthood. On January 28, 1901 the studio became the Compton's Art & Music Company and moved to the location they would use until the studio closed in 1994. He died on March 16, 1931.

Alma W. Compton, Sr. was born in England on September 21, 1856. He and his siblings moved to Ogden, Utah in 1868, their parents joined them a year later. His opportunities for schooling were meager and he worked in a broom factory before apprenticing himself to Ogden photographer J.W. Christensen in 1882. In 1883 he rented a photo outfit and traveled through Brigham City, Cache Valley, and around Malad, Idaho. He settled in Brigham City and rented the studio of Jens C. Gasberg (Brigham City's first photographer) before building his own studio in 1884. In 1886 Compton married Jane Emeline Dalton in the Logan Temple. The couple would have four children who survived to adulthood. On January 28, 1901 the studio became the Compton's Art & Music Company and moved to the location they would use until the studio closed in 1994. He died on March 16, 1931.

Mathew Compton was born on November 16, 1892. He served in the military during WWI and returned to run the studio with his father after the death of Alma W. Compton, Jr. Mathew was instrumental in forming the American Legion of Utah in 1919 and was active in Brigham City commercial organizations. He married Pearl Peters on February 21, 1921 in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. They would have four children one of whom (Mathew Glenn) took over the studio in 1967.